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SkekZok
SkekZok was the Skeksis' Ritual Master, and counterpart to urZah the Ritual Guardian. Biography Age of Resistance SkekZok was particularly fearful of the Crystal beginning to fail, going so far as to say they would all die if nothing was done, until emperor skekSo cut through and allayed their concerns. He attended skekTek's demonstration of the use of essence to restore youth, and while celebrating, he felt water drop on his head. Looking up, he saw Rian, and immediately alerted the other Skeksis."End. Begin. All the Same." The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 Together with skekAyuk, skekZok patrolled the halls of the castle looking for Rian, telling skekAyuk not to trouble himself with dark thoughts of Rian escaping. SkekZok supported punishments first for skekSil and then for skekTek when it became apparent that skekTek would be blamed, and greatly appreciated skekSil's suggestion of using a peeper beetle as punishment. SkekZok personally escorted skekTek out, and after performing the ritual preceding the punishment itself, told skekTek that it would "all be over soon"."Nothing Is Simple Anymore" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 When Aughra arrived at the Castle of the Crystal to inspect the Crystal, skekZok lied to Aughra, saying that "the Crystal thrives, as does Thra"."What Was Sundered and Undone" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 Post-Garthim War SkekZok fancied himself as Emperor skekSo's closest advisor, and sought to control the other Skeksis through false prophecies and apparitions, only to discover that they distrusted his divinations and practised their own.Froud, B. & Llewellyn, J. J., The World of the Dark Crystal. Pavilion Books. He was in charge of leading all ceremonial occasions, and was third in line to the Skeksis' throne after the death of skekSo.Smith, A. C. H., & Odell, D. (1982). The Dark Crystal. Holt, Rinehart and Winston . SkekZok was part of a political faction consisting of skekShod the Treasurer and skekAyuk the Gourmand. After the death of skekSo, skekZok abstained from participating in the subsequent Trial by Stone which lead to the ascension of the Garthim Master skekUng and the banishment of Chamberlain skekSil. This was however a political calculation, as the Ritual Master knew he could not match the Garthim Master's brute strength or the Chamberlain's constitutional claim. Although he feigned loyalty to skekUng, he took every opportunity to passively undermine the new Emperor's authority. When skekUng's Garthim failed to capture the Gelfling Jen, skekZok took charge of the situation and summoned his Crystal Bats to seek him out. When the banished skekSil returned to the Castle of the Crystal with Kira, skekZok insisted on her immediate execution, while skekUng ordered her to be drained of essence first. SkekZok later began to plot with skekShod to overthrow skekUng, but the plan was never realised. As the third Great Conjunction, which would have granted the Skeksis eternal life, approached, the escaped Gelflings were discovered in the Crystal Chamber, wielding the shard. In the ensuing struggle, skekZok fatally wounded Kira with his ritual dagger, effectively sealing the Skeksis' fate, as the grief-stricken Jen used the shard to heal the Crystal and reverse the Great Division. Behind the scenes Froud incorporated a helm with a broken circle on the character, to emphasise the ritual master's fractured view of the world.C. Gaines, The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History, Titan Books, 2017, p. 123, . His robes were made with gold thread and were inspired by ecclesiastical capes.C. Finch, The Making of the Dark Crystal: Creating a Unique Film, Henry Holt & Co, 1983, pp. 46-47, . Gallery Ritual Master.jpg The Ritual Master.jpeg SkekZok Instagram.jpg SkekZok UrZah.jpg|SkekZok with his urRu counterpart, urZah the Ritual Guardian SkekSo with skekSil & skekZok in armor.jpg|SkekZok (right) with skekSil the Chamberlain and emperor skekSo Skeksis attack.jpg|SkekLach, skekSo, skekEkt, and skekZok skekZok the Ritual Master.jpg|SkekZok the Ritual Master References External Links * Category:Characters Zok Category:The Dark Crystal characters Category:Males Category:Villains Category:The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance characters Category:The Power of the Dark Crystal characters